Alter Bound
by dcurley1
Summary: "Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just won't adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is to sign on as its accomplice." -Tom Robbins, Still Life With Woodpecker
1. Prologue

**Rated M for the potential of all things adult: sex (if I can mus****ter up the courage to actually write a lemon), drugs, and rock-n-roll. We'll see where it takes us...the 'we' and 'us' being 18 and older of course.**

**Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. The Twilight Saga and all characters involved within are the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

A/N: I absolutely have to thank duskri123 for her infinite patience and encouragement. I really don't think I'd be doing this if it wasn't for your support. Thanks for all the late-night chats, allowing me to vent about everything from students to pervy kids at the pool, and allowing me to con you into pre-reading this potential disaster (well, the prologue anyway). You rock and I totally heart you!

* * *

It was everything I didn't know I wanted.

Actually no, that's not true, that's not true at all.

It was everything I knew I _didn't_ want.

But what I do know is that I want my eternity and all of my 'forever-mores' to be with Edward, and if this is what he needed then I could do it.

For him.

For Edward.

For us.

For eternity.

For love.

For family.

For the love of God, I can't breathe...


	2. Chapter One

**Alter Bound: Chapter One**

**Rated M for the potential of all things adult: potty mouths, violence, drinking/drug use, and sex (if I can muster up the courage to actually write a lemon). Meh, we'll see where it takes us...the 'we' and 'us' being 18 and older of course.**

**Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. The Twilight Saga and all characters involved within are the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**A/N: Lots of thanks, hugs, and smooches are owed to duskri123 and juliangelus for all of their help and support in prereading and beta'ing this potential disaster while patiently holding my hand...and managing my manic nerves. This wouldn't be possible, or be as pretty, if it weren't for them. **

**Huge, like massively gi-normous, thanks are owed to everyone that has alerted and/or reviewed the miniscule prologue to this story! Your excitement, patience, and support mean the world to me. Thank you SO very much! **

_Summary: "Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just won't adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is to sign on as its accomplice. Instead of vowing to honor and obey, maybe we should swear to aid and abet. That would mean that security is out of the question. The words "make" and "stay" become inappropriate. My love for you has no strings attached. I love you for free."_

― _Tom Robbins, Still Life With Woodpecker_

_BPOV_

I stared at the girl in the mirror looking back at me. _Who is this_, I couldn't help but wonder. _Who is this girl?_ She couldn't possibly be _me_; me-the girl who never really wanted to get married wouldn't be staring back at me in a beautiful white gown, would she? She wouldn't compromise herself like that, would she? But...she looked liked me, well sort of. Her dark hair was partially veiled and pinned away from her face in loose curls, her makeup was soft and sophisticated, her jewelry was minimal, and her romantic, white dress flowed over her form accentuating her slight figure.

The girl staring at me in the mirror wasn't a _girl_ at all, no, she looked like a young _woman_...and I'm not sure if I qualify as a _woman_, as an _adult_, yet. No, I'm not a child, but am I mature enough to be a woman? Am I ready to accept all of the responsibilities that come with the rights of being a woman? I don't know, I'm not sure anymore. _Why am I thinking about this __**now**_? _Why am I just __**now **__coming to this realization?_ I've always thought of myself as more than your typical teenager; more responsible, more capable, more willing to give myself to what I believed in, my eyes more open. But am I really? I don't know anymore, but there is no way that this _stranger_ in the mirror is _me_. She's lovely and I can see the fear running rampant in her eyes...and I'm not lovely and have nothing to fear, right?

"Bells?" I heard my Dad call from outside the door, "Are you ready?"

"Bells? Do you need a few minutes, sweetheart?"

"Um, ah...no, Dad. I'm, uh, ready I guess." I whispered, noticing the tremor in my voice.

He opened the door and I heard him gasp as he turned his head towards me. "Wow Bells, you look really beautiful sweetheart."

"Thanks," I said, smiling back at him in the mirror. "You don't look too shabby yourself there, Daddy."

"Well, um, humph...thanks." He stuttered in response, a light blush covering his cheeks as he stared pointedly at his shoes. "Anyway, are you ready?"

...

"Bells, are you okay sweetheart? You don't have to do this you know."

…

"Sweetheart, we can leave right now if you don't want to do this. I won't let Edmund hurt or harass you Bella. You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"Oh!" I finally responded, shaking my head in a desperate attempt to knock out all of my inner-turmoil. "I'm sorry, Dad. I was just lost in my own world there for a minute. I'm ready and for the hundredth time, I want to do this. I love _Edward_, Daddy; I want to be with him."

"You keep saying that you want to be with him, but I haven't heard you say once that you want to marry him." He responded softly, "You don't have to marry that boy to be with him, sweetheart. If it doesn't feel right, don't do it."

"I do want to marry him, Daddy," I sighed. "Now, enough of this. Let's get this show on the road."

"All right then, Bells." He responded simply, taking my hand and placing it in the crook of his arm. "Let's get this show on the road."

As he slowly led me through the house and to the aisle, I couldn't help but look up and smile at him. He knew I was nervous and how insecure my clumsiness made me, and without saying a word, he kept a firm grip on me and walked at a slow and steady pace-not once making me feel less than or coddled for it. My mom and Phil weren't here today. _Sorry sweetie, Phil has a game_ or practice or she was busy having her aura read or having a spiritual cleansing or she _had_ to have a reiki session or some other bullshit excuse. It stung, and yeah, I was a little bitter but honestly, I wasn't too surprised. Renee's not a terrible person, not at all, and despite everything I do love her very much. I may not _like_ her very much, or respect her, but I do _love_ her.

My Dad though, that was the stunner. Not an overly emotional man and it was blatantly obvious where my social awkwardness had come from, but he was there-he was steady. Even when he hated what I was doing, like right now for example, or really anything involving _Edwin er Edmund er I mean Edward_, he was there. No matter what, he was there. He was a parent, not my friend unlike Renee, and the perfect one for me. God, when I think back to the days when I was just so willing to throw everything away for Edward and abandon my parents to grief, guilt, and longing, I just want to smack myself. Granted, it was still going to happen with Renee and Phil, but seeing as my Dad now knew what was going on, he also knew what was coming...and I wouldn't have to say goodbye until it was _his_ time to go. Renee would mourn, for a little while at least until she found a clan of rock worshipping hippies to distract her, but my Dad at least would know that I was safe, loved, and cared for. It was the least he deserved and I cringe every time I think back to how selfish and immature I've been.

As we got closer to the aisle, I couldn't help but be absolutely stunned by everything that Alice, and everyone she bullied into helping-_poor Jane_, had accomplished. There were candles, Chinese lanterns, garlands of white and blue flowers, silk sashes and bunting, and white and blue flower petals _everywhere_. As the wedding and reception were both in the evening, the candles and lanterns created a lambent and romantic atmosphere, and the flowers were indescribably beautiful. I could recognize the delphiniums, forget-me-nots, dark blue dendrobium orchids, and white primroses amongst God-only-knows how many other types of flowers. It was all just so beautiful, it honestly took my breath away and I could feel the tears begin to sting my eyes as I allowed myself to get carried away by not only the emotional currents of the day but also in response to all of Alice's efforts. It was everything I never knew I wanted, well, sort of. I may not have wanted a wedding, or marriage for that matter, but I do want my eternity and all of my 'forever-mores' to be with Edward, and if this is what he needed then I could do it. For him, for _us_, I could do this. And if this is something we needed to do, I couldn't imagine a more beautiful setting to than this. For all of my growling, whining, nervousness, and apprehension, Alice had really put together a beautiful ceremony.

Finally tearing my gob-smacked eyes away from the decorations, I couldn't help but notice the shit-eating grin on Emmett's face. I quirked my eyebrow in his direction and watched as he glanced down towards his hands and quickly pocketed the lime he was holding. _What an ass, _I snickered to myself fondly. During our hour-long lecture on the hidden symbolism of flowers and fruits, and other crap I could really have cared less about, Emmett came across a passage in one of Esme's horticulture books about lime blossoms symbolizing fornication. Since then, I haven't been able to go anywhere without a random lime showing up: in my bed, in my dressers, the front-seat of my truck, my bags are filled with them whenever I leave their house. _Jackass_. Though it worth it when Jane found limes in her underwear drawer and shocked the shit out him for it. _That_ was awesome. And since Alice had given me a little heads up; I recorded it, sent it to a couple of people-I might have _accidentally_ posted it privately on YouTube-, and replayed it whenever I felt he was getting a bit too cocky-which was all the time.

Other than Emmett, all of the other Cullen's looked rather...tense. Rosalie looked like she was doing her best to keep from yelling at someone, though honestly that didn't surprise me as she wasn't my greatest fan and didn't approve of my marrying Edward in any shape, form, or fashion. Alice standing as close to Jane as she possibly could, a tight, pensive frown marring her usual exuberant features. Jane looked annoyed, but that wasn't unusual so I really wasn't concerned. Carlisle and Esme looked very serious, worry evident in their eyes. I was trying so hard not to panic but I couldn't help but worry. _Did something happen? Is everything okay? Is everyone okay? What's going on?_

Continuing down the aisle, I was distracted from my rambling and rapidly building anxiety, and stunned by the realization that I had no fucking clue who most of these people were. I mean yeah, I recognized my family and the pack obviously, and there were Angela, Ben, and Lauren-whom Jacob had shockingly imprinted on, but I have absolutely no clue who all of these other people, well actually, who all of these other vamps were. I knew the Whitlock's, recognized a few from Volterra, and noticed Renee, a friend of Carlisle's...but there are _a lot_ of vamp's here and I have no idea who most of them are! What the hell? Did Alice uncover some sort of vampire social register and just send everyone an invitation on a whim? What happened to this being a small, family-oriented affair? And most importantly, who the hell are all of these people?_ Stop worrying about this_, I snarked to myself, _it's time to pull up your big girl panties and just fucking handle it!_

Isn't it kind of weird that the all-empowering 'big girl panties' actually get smaller as you mature? I mean, we move from day-of-the-week under-roo's to thongs and bikini-cuts. And if our big-girl panties are supposed to be a symbol of our ability to 'just deal with it', wouldn't they get bigger? Like granny-panties? But no one wants to cop to wearing those atrocities, except on laundry days, and instead we're encouraged to wear something smaller...and doesn't that sort of defeat the purpose? _Gah, what the hell is wrong with me! _Metaphorical panty size isn't fucking important right now, what _is_ important is getting this over with... well, that and not falling on my ass in front of everyone...God, it will probably happen, I can see it now..._Stop rambling to yourself and pull it together Bella! You're getting married...like right now, _I chastised myself as I struggled to keep my thoughts clear and 'peppy'. Yay! Wedding! _Oh my God, there are a lot of people here...and they are __**all**__ looking at me...and I'm going to fall...and...and...Oh sweet baby Jesus..._

Between the Cullen's and the unknown guests and my manic internal-dialogue, I was starting to get pretty upset, really upset actually. Though I was doing my best to look and stay calm, I knew most of the people here could hear my elevated heartbeat and rapid breathing...which wasn't helping matters. But no sooner had I recognized the beginnings of a panic attack that the fear and anxiety melted away into peace and an almost tangible serenity. I looked up and saw Jasper smiling softly at me as I whispered my thanks. My grin widened when I noticed Peter and Charlotte standing beside him.

I met Peter and Charlotte when Jasper came back to help with Victoria and they came with him to help...well that and Peter admitted that they were bored. They hit it off immediately with not only me, but also my Dad and shockingly, the pack. It was actually through Jasper, Peter, and Charlotte that the Cullen's, well most of them, were able to move past all of the underlying animosity and build relationships of their own. Esme and Emmett in particular have really established themselves in La Push and between Emmett's newfound wolfpack-bromance and all of the work that Esme does with the tribal elders and the pack, they are more often on the rez than at home. Rosalie was completely gob-smacked by all the kids on the rez and usually accompanies Em so that she can spend as much time with them as possible...and keep an eye on Em and the boys, who left unsupervised, would probably end up arrested... again.

I could finally see Edward and as usual was taken aback by his beauty. He looked so proud and so beautiful standing at the altar. The soft black of his suit complimented his pale complexion and the loosely knotted tie and _slightly_ less disheveled hair made him look a tad rakish. I could feel my heart flutter and knew that although I was nervous, I was making the right choice. We loved each other, I loved him and I wanted to be with him for all of our eternity. I could swallow the stagnant taste of 'wedding' and 'marriage' for him...for us. For us, I would do it. For him, I would do it. And ultimately for me, I was doing it to get my happily ever after.

We decided to stand on our own so there was no one next to him but the Reverend Weber, Angela's father, who was officiating the service. This was the result of weeks of family squabbles, hurt feelings, and my already straining temper finally snapping. The primary argument was that Alice should stand with me, but I wanted Jake to do that instead. I didn't want to hurt Alice's feelings, and felt beyond awful that I had, but she wasn't my best friend anymore...and sometimes a tiny, niggling voice in my head said that she never really was. I still loved her and would always consider her a friend and sister in a way, but there were just things I couldn't let go of-namely her abandonment and the fact that I never felt like she truly accepted me for who I really am...t-shirts, green Converse, scabs, messy hair, motorcycles and all. Jacob, on the other hand, accepted me wholly. Not that there were things he didn't like, and he'd call me out in a heartbeat, but he knew, loved, and supported me without constantly needing to make me over. _That's_ a best friend in my view, and that is who I would want standing by my side. It was actually a major source of contention between Edward and me for awhile and it was one of the few things that I really dug my heels in for. We finally reached the 'compromise' that we'd tie ourselves to each other in a solitary show of love and that instead of having bridesmaids and ushers; we'd view all of the guests as standing with us instead. I actually liked that idea, the thought of our friends and family there with us as a show of support for our 'union'. Which brings me back...who are all of these other people and how can they support our love and union of they don't know us...or don't know me at least.

When we reached the altar, which had been painstakingly hand-carved by Paul and Sam, my father lifted my veil and softly kissed my cheek.

"I love you, sweetheart, just remember what I said earlier," he whispered in my ear.

"I love you too, Daddy." And I did.

Turning away from my father, I found myself lost in Edward's eyes. The eyes of my most tender love, my first, my last my only.

I was so lost in them, in him, in us that I barely regarded the words of Revered Weber. That is, until I heard Edward…

"I...I can't do this, Bella. I'm so sorry."


	3. Chapter Two

**Alter Bound: Chapter Two**

**Rated M for the potential of all things adult: potty mouths, violence, drinking/drug use, and sex (if I can muster up the courage to actually write a lemon). Meh, we'll see where it takes us...the 'we' and 'us' being 18 and older of course.**

**Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. The Twilight Saga and all characters involved within are the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**A/N: Lots of loved is owed to duskri123 and juliangelus for all of their help, support, and patience...For not only prereading and beta'ing when they have gobs of more important shiz on their plates, but, and more importantly me thinks, for holding my hand, managing my manic nerves, and reassuring me the whole way. This wouldn't be possible, or be as pretty, if it weren't for them. **

**Huge, like massively gi-normous, thanks are owed to everyone that has alerted and/or reviewed! Thank you SO very much! **

_Summary: "Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just won't adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is to sign on as its accomplice. Instead of vowing to honor and obey, maybe we should swear to aid and abet. That would mean that security is out of the question. The words "make" and "stay" become inappropriate. My love for you has no strings attached. I love you for free."_

― _Tom Robbins, Still Life With Woodpecker_

_Previously: "I...I can't do this, Bella. I'm so sorry."_

_JPOV_

I watched, too stunned to move, as Bella's eyes fluttered shut and listened to her poor heart stutter as she fainted at the altar. Jake, her best friend and partner in crime, caught her before she hit the ground, but not before landing a solid punch to Edward's jaw. Fucking asshole deserved it too, amongst other things.

I just...I just couldn't believe what had just happened. I told him, _I told him_, not to do this to her. I told him he wouldn't be able to marry her. I told him he was going to break her heart if we were lucky, but more than likely he'd fuckin' destroy her. I told him, god-dammit, I told him not to do this to her. We all did. But did he listen? Of course the golden boy didn't. And now look at what he's done to her...again...

"What an asshole," I heard Charlotte swear under her breath. Not that it did much good for her whisper it, with our hearing everyone heard her. And it appeared as though everyone agreed as I heard "It's my turn to hit fucker next", and other similar sentiments muttered by several people.

As Jake and Charlie moved Bella to the house, I tried to help the Cullen's keep everyone calm while at the same time gettin' everyone the hell outta here. If we didn't get rid of most of the guests right fuckin' now, we were gonna have a major problem on our hands...well, another major fuckin' problem.

The _rage_ flowin' through the pack was almost visceral and it looked like both Leah and Paul were on the cusp of phasin' right here and now. _Oh, that would not be good, not good at all. _First of all, most of the guests were unaware of the shape-shifters existence and second, they'd probably rip Edward apart and torch him without a second thought. Not that that would be a _bad_ idea per se, and God knows the dick deserves it for everything he's put that poor girl through, but it might not sit well with some of the other guests. Then again, listening to all the grumbling, cursing, muttering, and crying on top of the absolute shock, shame, and unadulterated anger rippling through most of the people in attendance, I could be wrong.

"Peter," I hissed. "We need to get all of the humans, and most of the vamps and shifters outta here right the fuck now."

"I'm on it Boss. Imma' head over to the pack first. Why don't you get Carlisle and work on the humans and vamps." He responded tersely, already headin' over in Sam and Emily's direction.

The whole relationship with the pack was a little bizarre to be perfectly honest. We're mortal enemies, but now so many bonds and relationships existed between the Cullen's, Whitlock's, and wolves that our 'fight or flight' instinct had slowly tapered down to the point of nonexistence. Granted, they still smelled God-awful, and they in turn assured us that we still smelled like bleach drenched shit, but other than that, we were bonded.

Before the skirmish with Victoria and her merry band of psychotic newborns, I'd never met the pack. I'd heard of 'em and the treaty of course, but I wasn't with the Cullen's when they established the treaty and after the 'birthday incident', as Alice nicely refers to it-I call it tryin' to eat her fuckin' friend...I guess we could chalk that difference of opinion up to semantics, I left Forks to get my head straight.

The night I went after Bella damn near killed me. I just couldn't wrap my head around _why _it happened, or _how _I'd lost that much control. Yes, I've struggled with the veggie-diet, but with Bella I thought it would be different; she had so much love, trust, and admiration for all of us, even for me. I _liked _her, dammit. I prayed and honestly thought that the emotional connection between us would negate any real danger, but _oh, was I wrong_. I left that very night. I told the Cullen's that I needed to think and I couldn't do it around them; their emotions were too all over the place, too strong and entirely too overwhelming to concentrate on my own. I told them that I needed to figure out who I was, who I wanted to be, how to get there, and most of all, why in the hell I attacked Bella. I packed my things as quickly as I could and took off in my truck. I didn't know where I was goin' and drove aimlessly for days. But after about a month of wandering, I landed myself in Peter and Charlotte's driveway, and I've been with them ever since.

I got a call from Alice several months later telling me about them leaving Forks, Edward's self-pitying depression, Bella's alleged suicide attempt, and the clusterfuck in Italy. Needless to say, I was sorta glad that I was away from the drama. Don't get me wrong, I felt badly for everyone involved, especially Bella...actually I take that back, at the time, and even more so now, I didn't feel badly _for_ Edward at all-I felt badly _about _the little asshat. And once again, I found myself in awe of Bella's selflessness. After he and the rest of the family, myself included, abandoned her, she still sacrificed her own future for our safety. She had done the same thing in Phoenix when she thought James had her mother. I was impressed then, but I was blown away now. Evidently, Bella thought I was with the family the whole time and when Alice told her about me leaving, and obviously had to correct her assumption that we were mates, Bella e-mailed me. After the usual bullshit pleasantries, _how are you...I'm well...the weather here sucks...blah blah blah, _she asked why I'd left and if she would ever see me again. She told me that I was wrong to blame myself for 'the birthday incident' and that she wanted to see me but would respect any decisions I made. Then she stunned me...she told me she loved me. She told me why she loved and admired me. And yet again, I found myself astounded by Miss Isabella Swan. The love, compassion, and understanding that little slip of a woman has in her staggers me, and it's not only for me, or vampires for that matter, she's acceptin' of everyone and everything around her...which I found out later included the wolves.

A few days after Alice called me about Italy, I got a call from Carlisle. Evidently, Victoria was creatin' an army to take down the Cullen's for the death of her mate, that fucktard James that _I_ killed in Phoenix. I told Edward that she was a problem and needed to be eliminated, I told him that they were mates and that she wouldn't rest until he had been avenged. But did the golden-boy listen to me? Hell no, of course not. He hadn't _heard _anythin' from her to justify my "paranoia" as he put it, never mind that people don't constantly think of their relationship/mate status and that I could fuckin' _feel _it...nope, he heard nothin', so nothin' was done. Well, just like I thought, he was wrong and Victoria was a problem. A big problem. Carlisle was finally deferring to someone other than his 'first born' and asked for my help. It goes without saying that I was on my way. Peter and Charlotte stopped me on my way out the door and after I filled them in, they were comin' too. Charlotte was impressed by Bella and was dyin' to meet her and Peter...well, Peter was just bored and felt like tearing shit up. Besides, as he said, helpin' out and playin' hero might earn him some nookie-points with the wife, and since he's in the dog-house more often than anyone I've ever met, he needs all the help he can get.

It wasn't until after we got to Forks that we found out about the wolves. Edward wasn't keen on their participation, but Sam, their Alpha, and Jacob, the 'rightful heir' I s'pose you could say and Bella's best friend, weren't takin' no for an answer. After listening to Edward bitch, whine, and moan for about an hour, I finally put my foot down and set out to meet the Alpha my-damn-self. Bella was just as frustrated as I was, so she called Jacob and set the whole thing up, grumbling 'bout Edward the entire time, which amused the shit outta me. Peter and Charlotte came with us, and from there, relationships were made. Don't get me wrong, it was tense at first, especially when they found out that Peter, Charlotte, and I weren't vegetarians. For a second there, I thought a fight was gonna break out until Bella started screamin' at everyone to "calm the fuck down and shut the fuck up". I was stunned, which was becoming a usual occurrence where Miss Bella was involved, by the fact that she not only yelled at everyone, but she actually threw down the 'f-bomb' not once, but twice. I think everyone was shocked because we all 'calmed the fuck down and shut the fuck up' at that point. Bella then explained that though we were indeed human drinkers, we only took lives that were either nearing their natural ends or those that would provide a social good. Hospice centers and the sexual offenders registry are our preferred methods of finding prey, and quite frankly, I don't feel bad about it. Hospice centers care for those that are already dyin' and have said their goodbyes, and child molesters make me fuckin' sick.

It was actually one of the wolves, Jared, which supported us first. "Hell", he said, "it sounds to me like you're doing a public fucking service. Come on, Sam. Those folks in the hospice centers are already circling the drain, and don't even get me started on the goddamn pedophiles. As long as they don't hunt innocent humans, I don't give a shit. 'Sides, this scary motherfucker over here is handing us the opportunity to tear some shit up. What more do you want? For someone to wrap the redhead up in a bow and leave her on your doorstep? Fuck it, I'm in dude." Peter smirked and shook Jared's hand, and from there the Peter-Jared bromance was born...much to Charlotte and Kim's, Jared's imprint, frustration.

The wolves were silent for a few minutes, and I swear if I could still sweat, my clothes woulda' been soaked, but they eventually decided to work with us, and after a rather _stern _reminder of what would be done to us should we fuck up, we worked past it and put our heads together. While Sam and I were tryin' to get everyone's schedules together, the rest of the Cullen's arrived. Carlisle tried to get involved, but it was too hard to concentrate with all of Edward's screechin' and cryin' and carryin' on about 'the treaty', and 'immature dangerous wolves', and 'unrefined dangerous human drinkers'. At that point, the wolves stopped and just stared at him. I couldn't keep from groanin' and was about to tear into him again when Bella piped in with her rather _colorful _opinion. She told him to shut up, that none of us were gonna hurt her, that those 'immature dangerous wolves' had been protecting her and keeping her sane since we all abandoned her, that one of the 'unrefined dangerous human drinkers' had saved her life before, and that everyone had been makin' sacrifice after sacrifice for her and were owed respect and gratitude, not a petulant fuckin' temper-tantrum. She finally growled-yeah, she growled...which kinda turned me on- at him and told him that if he couldn't be a grown up and play nicely with everyone else that he could take his pompous ass home. No one said a damn word...until Paul and Emmett started giggling. So, Edward pulled on his big-girl-panties (as Bella called them, much to Peter's amusement) and behaved like a good little boy, well, sorta. He was still a condescending prick, but he worked with everyone.

After the battle, Peter, Charlotte, and I went home but kept in contact with everyone and even met up with Paul, Jared, Kim, Sam, and Emily a few times. Charlotte had really hit it off with Bella, and they e-mailed and called each other frequently. She had been e-mailing me pretty regularly after she got back from Italy but after the ruckus with Victoria, our e-mails became a daily thing and honestly, they were the highlight of my day.

I never agreed with her marryin' Edward and told her so more than once. I knew it wasn't somethin' _she_ really wanted and, more importantly, I knew that the little shit was manipulating her into doin' it because it was what _he _wanted. But she loved him, for some fuckin' reason, and I was her friend, so I sucked it up and supported her the best I could.

Pete, Char, and I got to town the night before the wedding and spent the evening in LaPush fuckin' around, drinkin', playin' cards, and just havin' a good ol' time. That all came to an end when we arrived at the Cullen's this afternoon, about two hours before the wedding.

I'm an empath; I know feelings-it's what I do. So imagine my shock when I felt everything associated with mating between Edward and some vampire I'd never met before. To say I was confused doesn't begin to cover it. After a few minutes of just fuckin' starin', I finally noticed everyone else. Anger, shock, fear, determination, and anxiety were pulsating through the room so rapidly and so strongly that I had to sit down before I fell out. I'm not really sure if a vampire can fall out, I mean, I've never known one too, but I felt pretty damn close to it at that moment.

"What's going on?" I finally asked.

"Nothing," Edward responded a little too quickly. "There isn't anything going on that you need to worry about so if you wouldn't mind, we could use some help setting up for the wedding."

I felt despair and blinding heartache coming from the new vamp at Edwards response, and I couldn't help but turn around and look at her.

"We haven't been introduced. I'm Jasper Whitlock and these folks with me are Peter and Charlotte."

"Oh, hello. I've heard a great deal about you and your coven Mr. Whitlock. I'm Renee, an old friend of Carlisle's." She had a quiet voice and refused to meet my eyes the entire time. While she isn't unattractive, there's just not anything there to draw you in; she seems to be all soft lines and fuzziness. Pale skin, yellow eyes, and short, light brown hair. Again, not unattractive, but not someone that would garner a second glance.

Her emotions though, now those were far from ignorable. Her heartache was screaming at me and her mating ties were shared by _Edward_-who was still plannin' on marryin' Bella. _What the fuck?_

"Does somebody plan on tellin' me what the fuck is goin' on here?" I demanded. If I was right, and the mating ties I felt were indeed between Edward and Renee, then what was he doin' marryin' Bella?

"I don't know wha-..."

"Can it, Edward!" Jane interrupted, "He's found his mate and yet for some fucking reason is still marrying Bella. All you're going to do is break everyone in the end if you continue on like this! It isn't anyone's fault that Bella isn't your mate, she's human-how were you or anyone else to know? And it isn't anyone's fault that you found your mate. What is your fault, you _cazzo pezzo di merda_, is breaking Renee's heart and leading Bella along only to break her heart _again _in the long run! You know you can't stay away from your mate, you haven't been able to since the day you met her. You know this and yet you still haven't told Bella!"

"Jane-", Edward attempted to break-in but Jane wasn't havin' it. I'll admit it…she intimidates the shit outta me sometimes, but as I've come to know her, I've grown to respect her immensely. I was a little surprised when Alice told me she had found her mate in Italy, in the midst of negotiating with the Kings to save Edwards pansy ass nonetheless, but I was absolutely floored when she told me _who_ her mate is-Jane Volturi. I didn't really care about the whole lesbian thing, and when I really think about it, I'm not too terribly surprised either. I've lived long enough to know that sexuality is fluid by nature and when it comes down to it, love isn't a voluntary phenomena- you don't always have a choice where it's involved...and to be perfectly honest; I've got more important shit to worry about: fossil fuels, the ozone, war in Afghanistan, genocide, childhood hunger, cancer, the rise of illiteracy, the next season of True Blood, or how in the hell I always end up short a sock when I do my laundry. No, it wasn't the fact that Alice's mate is a woman that threw me; it was _who_ it was that _floored_ me. Jane is one of the most notorious and feared members of the Volturi Guard...and bless her heart, Alice requires the patience of a fuckin' saint. But Jane's great for Alice-she doesn't put up with her shit, makes her follow a budget, and seems to calm or center her to where although she's still the poster-child for ADHD, she isn't quite as manic as she had been.

_"Ne ho abbastanza del vostro infantilismo e l'egoismo! Ti interessa nemmeno che si sta andando a distruggere Bella? O che si sta male il tuo compagno? Certo che no, se hai fatto non ti viene a fare questo a tutti! Come Alice, o chiunque altro, ti ama è al di là che ti pene petulante!"_

"I don't know what all she just said there, Jasper, but I do know that pene is I-talian for penis." Peter whispered with a smirk.

"Enough!" Carlisle yelled. Holy shit, that's a first. "Jane, that wasn't a very nice thing to say and although I agree to an extent, name calling and yelling isn't going to solve anything. Now Jasper, to answer your question; Renee is an old friend of mine. When she received an invitation to Bella and Edward's wedding, she decided to surprise me with a visit. Shortly after she arrived, we discovered that she was Edward's mate, not Bella."

"But wait, if she's not his mate, why is he still marrying her?"

"Because I love her! And I can't hurt her anymore than I already have..."

"Edward, you have no control over this. Over mating, I mean. I know Bella will be heartbroken, but she's the most understanding person I've ever met. She'll be hurt, but she'll understand and forgive you, Edward...but not if you don't tell her, not if you do this to her. You just found all of this out, the timing is beyond terrible..." I faltered off as I was bombarded by not only his guilt but also a pretty strong wave of deceit. "You did just find all of this out _now_, right Edward?" When he didn't respond and his guilt continued to increase, I immediately turned to Renee, "How long have you been here?"

"A month. I got here a month ago." She whispered, again refusing to meet my eyes. There was something else going on though. Something else Edward was holding back. The deceit and guilt surrounding him was damn-near tangible and I was damn-sure gonna find out what else he was hiding.

"Edward. What else?"

"Nothing, she's been here a month, I've known for a month. That's all."

"Bullshit," I growled out, "The deceit and guilt radiatin' from you is so thick I can taste it. Now, tell me what it is you're hidin', Edward."

He remained silent for about a minute until he heard a gasp from Alice.

"Edward, how could you..."

"I didn't mean too, Alice! I had finally gotten her back and didn't want to let her go. Besides, we had all thought that Jasper couldn't feel a mating bond between us due to her human condition. How was I to know?"

"Know what, Edward?" Carlisle demanded, his seemingly infinite patience finally running thin.

"Tell him, Edward. Tell him right now or I will!

"I've known since Italy..." He finally muttered, his shoulders slumping in defeat...and fear?

"Excuse me, young man?" Esme ground out, "_What_ exactly have you known since Italy?"

"That Bella was not my mate."

"What!"

"Edward!"

"How could you?"

"You self-righteous prick! Why-"

"ENOUGH!" I finally hollered, desperate to control the frantic cacophony of emotional tumult on top of the threatening and yelling all around me. "Now, Edward," I paused taking a deep breath and literally bathing the room in _calm, _"I think you have some explainin' to do and you best get on with it."

"We were wrong about humans and mating. We _all _thought that the mating bond hadn't occurred yet because she had yet to be changed. I was so drawn to her; there couldn't have been any other explanation for my feelings other than-"

"Silent mind...orgasmic smelling blood...fuckin' Singer..." Peter coughed out, oh-so-subtly.

"Shut up, Peter. Now, spit it out Edward. What did you find out in Italy?"

After more of his beatin' 'round the bush, and a final threat from Carlisle, Edward eventually confessed that Marcus, the Volturi King with the ability to 'see' bonds and assess their strengths, had pulled him aside privately and informed him that they were not mates. When Edward attempted to argue that there was no mating bond because of Bella's 'human condition', Marcus laughed and told him that it didn't matter. Human or not, _he_ would still have a mating bond to her, which he didn't. He went on to explain that although it was rare for vampires to find their mates in humans, due both to vampiric diet and humans instinctive aversion of vampires, it was indeed possible. Edward wanted to deny it, he wanted Marcus to be wrong or lying to him, but Marcus offered several examples of matings that started off with one of the pair being human and even opened his mind to the point where Edward could almost see the threads in his thoughts. Nevertheless, Edward loved Bella, wanted Bella, and was gonna marry her no matter what.

We tried everything to stop him from doin' this to her...and himself for that matter. Begging, rationalizing, threatening, and pleading with him to do the right fuckin' thing. When none of it worked, Peter, Charlotte, and I said fuck it and tried to contact Bella, but he saw our decisions in Alice's thoughts and stopped us every fuckin' time we tried to leave, call, text, IM, or even email. Not that he could overpower us, but I really wanted _him_ to be the one to tell her, to do right by her. I loathe admitting it, but by the end, I was so tired of fightin' a non-responsive wall, that I admitted defeat. I thought maybe he would love her enough to somehow handle it. A mating doesn't insure romantic love, Edward argued, and he was right...though I could see and feel the hurt, despair, and possessiveness comin' from Renee the entire time. There are many theories about mating but no one really knows for certain what it's there for, what its purpose is. All we truly know about mating is that it isn't guaranteed to happen to a vampire, it creates an irresistible draw and need for the one you're mated to, and while it may not be a guarantee of idealized, Eros love...that is what happens more than ninety percent of the time-which we tried to use as an argument, but Edward insisted that though it was rare, agape love was possible for mates and that _that_ was what was between he and Renee and that was how it was gonna stay.

And yet despite all of his proclamations of loving her, of not being "able to bear hurting her again"...despite all of his idealistic posturing and contentions...here we are a few hours later, well we as in everyone _except_ Edward that is...he and Renee were nowhere to be found. _Humph_, _maybe mindreading isn't Edwards only gift? Tuckin' tail, runnin' away, and leavin' his mess behind him for others to clean-up seems to be a gift of his as well. Dick. _

Alice and Carlisle had managed to get rid of the vamp and human guests whereas Pete and I had our work cut out for us with the Pack. Jake had carried Bella into the house and I knew that there wasn't anything that was gonna make him leave her side now. Lauren, Kim, and Emily left together shortly after Jake got Bella into the house, and Embry, Quil, and Seth left minutes later due to all of the unknown vamp's in the area. _Seriously, what the fuck was Alice thinking? Who the hell are all of these people? Is there a vamp Blue Book or Social Register that I don't know about? _

Billy Black and Sue Clearwater insisted on stayin' for Charlie. Well, Sue did at least...Billy was gazing at Irina, a veggie vamp from the Denali Cullen-and one of the underlying reasons for the inception of the succubus typologies/human mythologies, like she was the last glass of water in a parched desert...and _holy fucking shit!_

"You've gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me..." Pete muttered

"What's going on? What the fuck is wrong with Billy?" Jared demanded, clappin' Pete on the shoulder and scrunchin' his eyebrows together at Billy and Irina. "Who's the hottie? And when are we fuckin' up Ed?"

"The hottie, well, it appears as though she's gonna be Jacobs new step-mommy. As for fuckin' up Ed, soon. I wanna get Bella taken care of first and _then_ we can take care of Eddie."

"Wait, what...step-mommy? Are they...oh shit..." Paul trailed off, eyes wide and about to bug outta his head.

"Jasper, are you saying that Billy imprinted on that vampire over there?" Sam asked.

"I'm sayin' that there are _emotions_ between the two of them that feel like mating to me, as for imprintin', I haven't the foggiest idea. But yeah, if I was a betting' man, and I am, I would put most of my chips on Irina and Billy being mated." This day couldn't get fuckin' weirder.

"Hey Sam, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure...if I can stop staring at the _Chief_ of our Tribe and his _mate_, the _vampire_...sheesh, things sure do change..."

"Yeah" I snorted out, "You ain't kiddin' there, Sam. Anyway, this is what I need you to do: get Billy, Irina, and Sue out of here. Bring 'em to his place and tell them that we, Pete and I, will let Charlie and Jacob know where they are. And although I really hate to ask; you, Paul, Leah, and Jared should go too. Bella doesn't need to be overwhelmed anymore than she already has been. I understand why you're here, you love her, I get that and I really am sorry to ask-"

"No," Paul interrupted, "it's okay, and we get it. Well, it's not okay, it's not fuckin' okay at all, but we get it. We're gonna head down to the beach and wait for you guys there. I don't know about you, but I could use a fuckin' beer."

"Me too, buddy... me too." Peter sighed. "Y'all gonna be down at First Beach? I'll ask Char to pick up a couple cases of drinks and we can plan out what we're gonna do to Eddie...and what fuckin' happened."

"Sounds good to me, brother. Call me if you're gonna be long." Jared responded, confusion and anger warring across his usually impish and mischievous face.

After Sam convinced Sue, Billy, and a bewitched Irina, to wait for Charlie and Jacob in LaPush, Peter, Charlotte, and I headed for the house and the fuckery that awaited us there. When we walked in, I could hear heartbeats coming from upstairs, and noticed that all of the Cullen's were sitting dejectedly in the dining room being dressed down by a _furious_ Marcus. Flanking him were Alec and Felix, and I also noticed that while Jane wasn't at the table with the Cullen's, she also wasn't against the wall with her coven either. She had steadfastly refused the Cullen moniker, and diet, much to Esme's dismay, as she's Volturi and proud of it. I couldn't help but wonder _why was she purposefully separated from both groups? _

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" Marcus declared, pacing along the far wall of the room, lips pulled back into a sneer. "Carlisle...I cannot express the amount of disappointment I have in you right now. Not only did you did you allow him to expose her and reveal our existence, breaking our only steadfast law, not only did you allow what he did to her _the first time_ to happen, but now this? You tell me that you've known for an entire month...thirty days in which you could have, and by all rights and responsibilities should have acted like the leader this _family_ so desperately needs? God's teeth, Carlisle! Leaving aside your continued inability to lead this run-amok group, what of your responsibility as vampire? You like to refer to yourself as a healer...a humanitarian...a compassionate being...some even say that your "great compassion" is a gift of sorts, like mine or Aro's. I can assure you, _Carlisle_, you are sorely lacking. As for the rest of you...", he tapered off as we heard Charlie's gruff whispers and Bella's increased heart rate from above us, indicating that she had 'woken up', for lack of a better word.

"Daddy...where is Edward?"

"He's gone, baby."

"Wha-what do you m-mean he's gone?" Christ, the quiver in her voice alone was enough to break my undead heart and judging by the flare of Alec's nostrils and Felix's growl, I wasn't the only one hurtin' for the girl.

My eyes instantly moved to the stairs as soon as I heard the soft thump of her feet hittin' the floor in my old bedroom, and I _ached_ for her as I watched her slightly stumble down the stairs, her tear stained face fixated on the floor.

Charlie and Jacob had apparently heard most of what Marcus had said earlier because the glares they fixed on the Cullen's would have left lesser men shakin' in fear...and shame. And I could feel it, the shame and heartache was literally throbbin' throughout the room; nevertheless, none of us had stopped it from happenin' in the first place, none of us had stepped up and told Bella the truth when we had the opportunity, and we _all_ played a role in hurting her.

"Where...where is Edward?", she mumbled weakly, her bleary gaze strayin' from face to face in the room, as she gradually wandered closer and closer to me.

"Someone had better answer her goddammit!" Charlie growled out when no one responded to her.

"Jasper," she sniffled out, tryin' so hard to hold back her tears. _Goddamn Edward for this_. "Jasper…what happened?" she asked, pressin' her trembling form against me and wrapping her little arms around my waist. "What did I do wrong? Why doesn't he want me anymore..._again_?" she sobbed against my chest, her warm tears soakin' through my shirt. I couldn't help but pull her closer to me, and hold her as tightly to me as possible. It was probably too tight, but she needed it…ah hell, I needed it.

"He found his mate Bella."

* * *

So, A/N part deux: According to Google Translate:

"..._cazzo pezzo di merda_...", is Italian for: "...fucking piece of shit..."

-and-

_"Ne ho abbastanza del vostro infantilismo e l'egoismo! Ti interessa nemmeno che si sta andando a distruggere Bella? O che si sta male il tuo compagno? Certo che no, se hai fatto non ti viene a fare questo a tutti! Come Alice, o chiunque altro, ti ama è al di là che ti pene petulante!"_, translates into: "I have had enough of your childishness and selfishness! Do you even care that you're going to destroy Bella? Or that you're hurting your mate? Of course not, if you did, you wouldn't be doing this at all! How Alice, or anyone else, loves you is beyond me you petulant little dick!"

Please excuse any mistakes I've made in translation, I know Italian food but am only vaguely familiar with the language.


	4. Chapter Three

**Rated M for a lot of reasons**

**Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. The Twilight Saga and all characters, recognizable settings, etc. involved within are the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**A/N: Beta'd by duskri123 and pre-read by juliangelus. Thank you so much ladies! Seriously, I have the bestest beta eva'!**

* * *

_Previously:_

"_Jasper," she sniffled out, tryin' so hard to hold back her tears. Goddamn Edward for this. "Jasper…what happened?" she asked, pressin' her trembling form against me and wrapping her little arms around my waist. "What did I do wrong? Why doesn't he want me anymore...again?" she sobbed against my chest, her warm tears soakin' through my shirt. I couldn't help but pull her closer to me, and hold her as tightly to me as possible. It was probably too tight, but she needed it…ah hell, I needed it._

"_He found his mate, Bella."_

**Bella's POV**

_He found his mate, Bella._

_He found his mate, Bella._

Jasper's response kept repeating in my mind and filling my ears, the mantra simultaneously confusing and antagonizing me.

_He found his mate, Bella._

_He found his mate, Bella._

"Wait... What?" I finally managed to sputter out, his words warping my mind to the point of near uselessness.

_He found his mate, Bella._

"Bella," Jasper said softly, taking in an unneeded, ragged breath. "Let's sit down for a minute, sweetheart." His arms were wrapped around me tightly and I noticed that I had nestled my face as close to his chest as I possibly could. I felt him loosen his grip as he tried to step back and steer me towards somewhere to sit. But I didn't want that, I needed him _not_ to do that. I needed him to hold onto me; I needed him to keep a grip _on_ me, I needed him to keep a grip _for _me. I knew that whatever was coming, whatever had happened was going to hurt immensely more than Edward had ever hurt me before. I was going to face it. I was going to deal with it and handle whatever it is that was coming-but I needed to be secured. Like a ship in a storm, I needed someone to secure me in a snug harbor. I could take care of the rigging, I knew I had dinghies and life rings; I could and would survive this, but I needed help staying afloat and lessening the damage of the storm-surges.

Taking a deep breath and mustering all of the courage I could find, I took a step back from Jasper and allowed him to lead me to the couch. As soon as I was seated, my Dad sat next to me, gripping the hand Jasper wasn't holding, and felt the heat of Jake as he took a stand behind me.

_He found his mate, Bella._

_He found his mate, Bella._

Shaking my head in a desperate attempt to get rid of those damning words, I opened my eyes and finally took in the scene before me.

_He found his mate, Bella._

The Cullens were scattered throughout the room, and looked so haggard, so beaten-down. I never knew vampires could look so tired, so...anything other than perfect. Carlisle and Esme were sitting together, stiffly postured, their clothes surprisingly wrinkled, on the love-seat across from me. Carlisle was looking down, his lips pressed into a thin, almost invisible line, his eyebrows furrowed together, as he gazed down at the floor. Likewise, Esme eyes were trained on the floor, her hands twisting in her lap, fidgeting nervously. _What is going on here?_

Rosalie and Emmett were leaning against the wall directly across from me. Unlike Carlisle and Esme, they were actually looking at me, though their expressions were grim. Actually, they were the only Cullens who looked me in the eye. Alice was sitting on the arm of the love-seat next to Esme, and like Esme, avoided my eyes and was twitching nervously. Jane was standing with Alec, Felix, and Marcus, who all looked furious and yet resigned at the same time. Peter and Charlotte were seated on an ottoman close to Jasper. Pete's tie was undone, there were spots of mud on his pants, and his shirt was un-tucked and partially unbuttoned. Charlotte was glaring venomously at each of the Cullens, her dress still perfectly pressed and in place. _Why are they angry with them? They aren't Edward. They didn't leave me, they didn't—unless ...unless they knew something? No, they wouldn't betray me like this; humiliate me like this. Would they? I can't believe that, I don't want to believe that. They're my family, my friends; they wouldn'tdo that to me. _

_He found his mate, Bella._

"He..." I paused, clearing my throat. "He found his mate?"

Again, I was met with silence.

"Someone better answer her, right damn now!" My father growled out, his face growing redder the angrier he got. "Furthermore, where is that sorry excuse you call a _son_?"

"Charlie, there's no need—" Carlisle began.

"No, Carlisle!" Marcus interrupted. "Mr. Swan is more than justified for his less than stellar opinion of that _bo_y. Moreover, you will answer him and Miss Swan with due speed and honesty. _Now!_"

_He found his mate, Bella._

"Now, Carlisle!" Marcus bellowed.

Seeing Carlisle squirm was something I never thought I would see. Dr. Carlisle Cullen is the most put-together, graceful, and articulate man I've ever met. For him to be this...shaken, well, it was definitely foreboding of something less than pleasant, that's for sure.

"Bella, my dearest girl. Edward, ah, Edward has met his mate. He is currently with her, I-I assume, as they left together though I have no idea where they might be," Carlisle finally responded, stuttering and whispering.

_He found his mate, Bella._

"What do you mean he met his mate? _I'm_ his mate, and since he isn't here with me, where is he? Who is he with?" To say I was baffled, my thoughts confounded and cluttered, is an oversimplification on the grandest of scales. _I _was Edward's mate._ He_ told me so; he told me when he first confessed his love for me, he told me in Italy, he told me when he held me at night, he told me before, during, and after the battle... He told me...

"Renee...he's with Renee," Esme finally whispered, hesitantly glancing up at me before quickly looking back down to her hands.

"Renee? What the hell does Bella's mother have to do with this?" I heard my father demand. It fleetingly occurred to me that Jake was being strangely silent, though is expressions were words; he would be spewing vitriolic-laced hatred.

_He found his mate..._

"No, not your former wife, Charlie. Renee Douglas, an old acquaintance of mine. She, um, she received an invitation to the wedding and has been visiting us for the past month. You, ah, you've probably met her," Carlisle responded nervously.

"Renee..."

_He found his mate..._

"Renee..."

"Bells? Baby?"

"Bella, sweet girl, say something, please."

"Bella..."

"Renee. Renee Douglas is his mate?" I asked, aware, yet somehow apathetic to the looks of concern and worry I was receiving from the entire room.

"Yes, dear. I am so sor—"

"Excuse me," I said, struggling to stand up. My mind was a whirling, cacophony of—well, confusion is just an understatement. I needed some air, I needed to breathe, and I needed to get up. _I need to figure out why I can't move._ I looked down and realized that I still had a death-grip on Jasper's hand. _Oh._

"Ju-just give me a minute. I need some air," I said, stumbling my way through the room, and tripping over the skirt of my ornate dress but thankfully managing not to fall.

_He found his mate..._

Blindly navigated my way through the living room and kitchen, I rushed out onto the back deck as quickly as I could, desperately gulping the cool, night air. I opened my eyes and noticed that the yard and house were still festooned with all of the wedding livery. It felt like a literal smack in the face. Shaking my head, I worked on pushing aside all of my misgivings about the wedding I never wanted, and tried to figure out why Edward lied to me, why he never told me about his relationship with Renee. Why, why, why...

_He found his mate..._

Renee. I _knew_ something was going on there. I had even asked Edward about it. She would text or call him constantly, and frequently show up wherever we were. But when I asked Edward about it, he assured me that they were merely friends; they had a lot in common, enjoyed each other's company, that she liked me, she didn't have many friends, she wanted to get to know me before we left for the honeymoon and she returned from whatever pit the she-devil crawled out of. And like an idiot, I believed him. More than that though, I didn't want to be _that _girlfriend; one ruled by jealousy and insecurity. We had had so many problems relating to my abandonment issues, and I thought that this was the perfect way to show my faith in him. _Boy was I wrong_.

How could he do this to me? The mating part hurts, I'm not going to lie about it-it _hurts_, but he has no control over that and no matter how much of an emotional blow it is, I can't and won't hold that against him. _But why did he lie to me?_ _Why did he tell me that I was his mate? Why didn't he tell me the truth about Renee?_ I went out of my way to be welcoming and cordial with her; _I tried so hard to be her friend_. She seemed lonely, and I had noticed that the Cullens were all a little awkward around her; I know what it's like to be the odd one out, so I tried my best to reach out to her, be her friend.

_He found his mate..._

_Wait, did they know? _I had been baffled by their reaction to her and had even confronted Alice about their rudeness towards Renee. I never knew why they were so standoffish around her...but if they knew it would all make sense. Edward lives here, she's been staying here, everyone in this house knows everyone else's business anyway—how could they not know? I could feel my anger rising, my blood boiling, as I thought about it and reflected back on their approach and attitude towards her. How could they do this to me? They _had _to have known. How could they not tell me? How fucking long has this been going on? Why do I continue to allow myself to be used and manipulated by this _family_? Do they find some sort of joy or pleasure out of my pain and humiliation? God knows this isn't the first time that asshole has hurt me, manipulated me, lied to me, controlled me, humiliated me. Do they receive the same amount of perverse pleasure in it that he obviously does? That's it...

Before I registered my own movement, I was taking off back into the living room. And again, none of the Cullen's would look me in the eyes. _Assholes_.

"You knew! You all knew and didn't say a goddamn thing!"

"You knew," I choked out. How—no, why do they hurt me so much?"You knew that he never truly loved me, not as much as I loved him."

"No, Bella, he did love you, in a way."

"Yes, he's made that painfully clear to me _twice_ now, Jasper," I retorted scathingly, cutting him off. I wasn't interested in anymore of their platitudes or soothing. I wanted the fucking truth for once and for all and I wanted it now.

"I'm sor—"

"Wait a minute. You said _in a way_. Hm, as an _empath,_ Jasper…" I sneered. "…can you tell, _feel,_ if there a difference between the connections between mates as opposed to two people that love each other? You know, Jasper…" I hissed. "…the _feelings_ they have for one another?"

"Yes," he whispered.

"And this emotion, or connection, or whatever the hell happens between _mates_. When does it happen?"

When there was no response, I growled out in impatience and frustration. "When. Does. It. Happen."

"It's instantaneous." Carlisle sighed. "A lot like wolf-imprinting actually. We do not choose our mate, neither do we have any control over when it will happen; however, as soon as they are near, we feel pulled towards them and as soon as we set our sights on one another we know."

"So, he's known for a _fucking month_! That means…Oh my God, you knew too, didn't you? Were you all aware of this for _that_ long?" I whispered, tears once again streaking haphazardly down my face.

"I thought maybe… Things were so hazy... The outcome of the wedding has been so hazy, so I thought maybe he'd changed his mind," Alice stammered, nervously picking at the fabric of dress.

"That's not what I asked, Alice. I asked if you _knew_ that Edward had met his mate, a mate that he's known about for a _month_, a mate that obviously _isn't_ me. It's a simple yes or no, Alice. Either yes you knew, or no you didn't."

"Yes. Yes, we all knew," she whispered, hanging her head in resignation.

"Bells—" Em started, but I held my hand up quickly, pleading for silence.

_Fuck their justifications; I'm so far beyond interested in hearing their bullshit excuses right now. _

I closed my eyes and bit my lip so hard I could almost taste the blood. _How could they, why would they? Well, no more. Their bullshit rationalizations and paltry attempts at absolution aren't going to fix this, aren't going to change this, they aren't going to work this time. I'm done._

"Daddy. Jake," I croaked, struggling to hold back my tears. "I'm ready to leave. Take me home, take me to the beach, take me to the cliffs, or take me to a damn parking lot for all I care. I don't care where we go, just get me out of here, please," I begged. I don't ever think I've seen my father this angry, this appalled. And Jake, my sunny Jake, now held such hatred and contempt sneered across his face. The Cullens were haggard, long-faced and almost gray actually. And I would be worried but my ability to care was just gone.

Jasper, Charlotte, and Peter stood with Dad, Jake, and I, questioning and pleading looks on their faces. I merely nodded that they could come. They haven't been here and their contact with the Cullen's is pretty minimal, so I doubt they knew about Renee. However, Jasper and I would definitely be having words about mating, relationships, love, honesty, friendship, and how _not_ to be a douchebag later. He might not have known about Renee but he damn well knew that Edward was lying about me being his mate. But knowing Jasper, he had a reason for not telling me. Not that I would accept his excuse, but I would at least hear him out. For all he has done for me, I owed him that much at the very least. But beyond that, I wasn't up to rehashing this, and really, the only thing I wanted was to get the hell out of this house and away from these charlatans…these backstabbing assholes.

"Bella, wait," Carlisle pleaded, his voice cracking under the pressure of some unknown force.

_Why does he care? If he did, he would have said something, he would have stopped this, he would have told me. If he cared, he would have been honest, he would have made Edward act like the adult he should have been. If he cared, he would have done something._

"Oh that's right, don't let me forget this," I responded, unable to keep the bitterness and resentment out of my voice. Turning around, I yanked off my joke of an engagement ring and my necklace—the Cullen crest finely etched in a white gold pendant and dropped them on the floor. Carlisle had given it to me shortly after they arrived back from Italy. He said it signified my belonging in the family. He said that I was a Cullen. _What crap..._

"I should have known better," I muttered, stopping to take one last look at the '_illustrious_' and '_humane_' Cullen's. "You know, Edward was right. You _are_ monsters."

And with that, I turned back around and walked out, my Daddy's arm draped securely around my shoulders, Jacob and the Whitlocks surrounding me.

_At least there's comfort here this time. At least there's that..._

"Bella, wait, please!"

* * *

_Thanks for reading, following, reviewing, and most of all, for being patient! See you soon! And um, review please. :) _


	5. Chapter Four

**Alter Bound: Chapter Four**

**This chapter is dedicated to the memory of Russell Means**, **who was** **a prolific Native American author, actor, educator, and activist. He was truly a warrior, and I admire him greatly. **

* * *

**Rated M for a lot of reasons**

**Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. The Twilight Saga and all characters, recognizable settings, etc. involved within are the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**A/N: Pre-read by juliangelus, jpcc of Sparkly Red Pen, and duskri123. Thank you so much ladies! I heart you so much. **

**Beta'd by JaspersDestiny of Sparkly Red Pen. She is like….she is just so….oh my Bob I *lurve* her. She's spankably awesome! **

**Seriously y'all, I have the bestest team eva'!**

* * *

_**Previously:**_

_"Bella, wait," Carlisle pleaded, his voice cracking under the pressure of some unknown force._

_Why does he care? If he did, he would have said something, he would have stopped this, he would have told me. If he cared, he would have been honest, he would have made Edward act like the adult he should have been. If he cared, he would have done something._

_"Oh, that's right, don't let me forget this," I responded, unable to keep the bitterness and resentment out of my voice. Turning around, I yanked off my joke of an engagement ring and my necklace—the Cullen crest finely etched in a white gold pendant—and dropped them on the floor. Carlisle had given it to me shortly after they arrived back from Italy. He said it signified my belonging in the family. He said that I was a Cullen. What crap._

_"I should have known better," I muttered, stopping to take one last look at the 'illustrious' and 'humane' Cullens. "You know, Edward was right. You are monsters."_

_And with that, I turned back around and walked out, my father's arm draped securely around my shoulders, Jacob and the Whitlocks surrounding me._

_At least there was comfort here this time. At least there was that..._

_"Bella, wait, please!"_

* * *

**Jasper's POV**

_Three Years Later…_

It has been three years; three years since I have seen Isabella Swan, three years since Edward walked out on her, three years since she left the United States, three years since she was changed.

That last night, the night Edward broke her heart for the final time, we led her out of the Cullen home and brought her to the cliffs. She wasn't ready to face the world, she wasn't ready to answer questions, and she wasn't ready to hear what people had to say or see the pity on their faces—again. I could understand; I wouldn't want to either.

_She stood there silently, occasionally answering simple questions. Bits and pieces of her hair had fallen loose from the clips that were holding it out of her face, wispy streaks of dark brown swirling in the wind around her pale, tear-streaked face. There was something contradictory about her pose, her manner, her appearance. I knew she was strong; her temerity radiated off her in waves. But at the same time, she looked so fragile, so broken. She reminded me of Roman glass—strong enough to withhold the strain and struggles of eras though so very fragile in its beauty and composition. _

_For the most part, she stared out into the inky night sky, lost in her whirling thoughts. After a while, she looked down at the water, watching the tumultuous crashing of the ocean's waves as they broke and battled against the cliffs and rocks, eerily similar to the riotous emotions flying across her face. And then, with no warning, she turned around. _

"_I'm cold," she said softly. "Someone should build a fire."_

"_Um, Bells, I don't think having a bonfire on the cliffs is the best of ideas. Why don't we head down to the beach, sit in the sand, and build a fire there. You know…one where we don't have to worry about someone plunging hundreds of feet into the water," Charlie replied gently, his eyes tight with worry. He walked over to her, put his arm around her shoulders, and slowly led her back to the car. "Here, let's turn on the heater in that monstrosity Peter calls a truck and head down to the beach, baby."_

"_Hey, it's a Hummer, not a monster-truck!" Peter grumbled._

"_Okay, Dad."_

_Taking over for Charlie, Jake wrapped his furnace-like arm around Bella to warm her and sent texts to various members of the Pack letting them know that we were on our way to the beach._

_I felt a wave of confusion, and I glanced back at Jacob. He looked up from his cell phone, his face scrunched up in bewilderment. "My step-mommy is hot? Huh?"_

I snickered to myself at the memory of Jake's 'what-the-fuck' reaction to his father's mating.

"What are you titterin' 'bout, Jasper?" Peter asked, dragging a few duffel bags out of the hall closet.

I laughed. "Jacob, remember when he found out about Irina?"

"Oh yeah, how could I forget the_ succu-what._"

"Speaking of which, have Irina and Billy decided what they're gonna do about Billy's change yet?"

"No," he responded sadly, shaking his head, sorrow and concern masking his features.

You see, the draw of your mate is eternal—forever and ever more—which was precisely what tore at Billy. He wanted that forever, that eternity with his beloved, his mate. But what he couldn't bear was the thought of burying some of his children, his grandchildren. And really, who would want that choice: live happily ever after with your mate, but you have to outlive, bury, and grieve your loved ones for eternity, or live the natural life cycle of a human, knowing that you're damning your mate upon your death? No, that wasn't a decision I could make. Granted, as long as Jacob continued phasing, he and Lauren, his imprint, would essentially live an immortal life. So would his daughter Rachel, as she was Paul's imprint…to poor Jacob's utter dismay.

"_Are you kidding me? Anyone, anyone else, please! Just not Don Juan Lahote. No, no, no, no. Tell me this is just a really bad dream and isn't really happening," Jacob pleaded with his father. _

"_Son—"_

"_Why, Dad? Why, oh why, does Taha Aki hate me?" Jacob wailed._

"_Jacob! Taha Aki does not hate you! The imprinting is a blessing and you know this. The underlying reasons for imprinting are unknown—"_

"_Especially in this case."_

However, Billy had another daughter, Rebecca, who was not an imprint. Then there was always the question of his future grandchildren, his friends, and Charlie, who was his brother in every way that counted. Furthermore, should Jacob and Paul stop shifting into their wolf forms, they and their imprints would be bound to a mortal life, one with a definite expiration date. Could he really live on without them? But how could he live without his mate? How could he damn her by his death, especially knowing that she'd find a way to follow him shortly thereafter? Again, these were decisions I was thankful I didn't have to make.

"Are you two packin' or are you fuckin' around?" Charlotte hollered as she walked through the front door.

"I finished getting everything taken care of at the center. Michael and Russell are set to take over in the morning, Carlisle and Esme should be back next week, and Emmett and Rosalie should be there a few days later to help finish the transition. We had some problems with a supplier but it was taken care of, thank jeebus," she said, sighing in relief.

"Um, we're packing, dear. Yep, packin'," Peter responded quickly, hopping off the counter-top he'd been perched on and moving with vampire speed to pick up the duffel bags he had abandoned on the kitchen floor.

"Uh-huh." Charlotte smirked. "Let me remind you _boys_ that we need to be at the airport in five hours."

Peter, Charlotte, and I were currently living in South Dakota, right outside of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. About a month after Bella left, Charlotte came home after a visit with Emily, outraged. After coaxing her into a calmer state, she told Peter and me about the troubles facing the Oglala Sioux Indians. She then informed us that not only was she contacting our attorney, Jenks, about setting up a comprehensive health clinic for the reservation, but that we were packing up, leaving Wyoming, and heading out to South Dakota…immediately…post-haste…_"right fucking now!" _I did a little research of my own, and after just a few minutes I was in wholehearted agreement with Char.

Seeing as Charlotte already had a plan in place, Peter and I packed the house and headed out to the Pine Ridge Reservation. The Cullens—with the exception of Alice and Jane, who were already back in Volterra, and Edward and Renee, who were traveling…and not really welcome—followed us about a month later to assist. About a year later we had contracts with tribal officials, and the Whitlock-Cullen Group had established itself as a silent partner with local organizations supplying jobs, counseling, health-care, drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs, agricultural innovations, residential reconstruction, job training, cultural reclamation, and a mass array of other services for the Pine Ridge people. Due to the weather and other climate conditions, we were stuck indoors more often than we were in Washington; however, Charlotte, Peter, and I were used to this, seeing as we had spent so much time in the Southwest in somewhat similar conditions. The Cullens, on the other hand, were not used to living like this, and they had a difficult time adjusting. And, well, it was a little difficult for us to adjust to the Cullens, to be honest.

We originally contacted them for assistance because they each had areas of expertise that would help our cause tremendously: Carlisle's medical background would assist with the health-care component of the clinic we were staffing; both Rosalie and Emmett had extensive backgrounds in engineering, technology, education —surprisingly, teaching was something that Em loved more than hunting bears—and mechanics; Esme brought in much needed help sifting through all the legalities behind sovereignty, property rights, private industry, mineral rights, etc. Through Esme's experiences with the Quileute Nation, she had experienced the legal quagmire of 'sovereignty' that many American Indian tribes face today, which even Jenks struggled with. Surprisingly, the Cullens offered more than just advice and they actually followed us to South Dakota.

When we contacted Carlisle about the Pine Ridge project, it wasn't the first time we'd spoken. We shared—well, I shared—some harsh words after Bella left, and about three months later, after things had calmed down a bit, we came to wish Jane and Alice luck when they left for Italy. But that first time we spoke…yeah, that was just a tiny bit uncomfortable.

_We had just returned to LaPush after seeing Bella off at the airport when I got a call from Esme._

"_Hello, Jasper," Esme said tentatively when I answered the phone._

"_Esme," I responded curtly._

"_Would, ah, would you, Peter, and Charlotte mind coming by the house before you leave?" she asked softly._

_No one had heard anything from the Cullens since we left last night, so this was a little bit of a surprise. "What is it that you need, Esme?"_

"_I just want to talk, Jasper. That's all. Please," she implored._

"_I don't know, Esme. Lemme talk to Peter and Charlotte, and I'll call you right back." _

"_Thank you, Jasper," she replied quietly and hung up. _

_Knowing that Peter and Charlotte had heard the conversation, I didn't need to say much. "Well?" I asked them._

"_I wonder what they want…" Charlotte mused._

"_I don't think it can hurt much, so I say we go over and see what the hell they want. 'Sides, they'll probably pester and throw on the guilt-trippin' 'til we do, so let's just get this shit over with," Peter answered tersely. _

_I looked at them a minute longer, just assessing their emotions while I tried to figure out my own opinion and feelings about seeing the Cullens again. Part of me just wanted to say fuck it, say my goodbyes to the Pack, and carry my sorry ass to the comforts of my own home. On the other hand, I was curious as to what they wanted. And to be honest, I couldn't hold myself much higher than the Cullens. Fact was, I knew Bella wasn't Edward's mate. I found out that Renee was Edward's mate before the wedding, and yet I still allowed Bella to walk down that damnable aisle knowing that she wasn't Edward's. Granted, I hadn't known for the amount of time that the Cullens had, and I hadn't known that a human could exhibit the same mating bonds and emotions that vampires did; however, that was not excuse enough for me to accept my actions and role in this mess. More acceptable than the Cullens, perhaps, but not more excusable. _

_Taking an unneeded breath, I called Esme back. _

"_Jasper?" she answered._

"_Hi, Esme. What time do y'all wanna meet? We're headin' home today, so…" I trailed off, not really knowing what to say. _

"_Anytime, Jasper. Anytime that will work for you, Charlotte, and Peter. Just, please…please come by before you leave. Please," she pleaded, her voice choking up towards the end. _

"_It's okay, Esme. We'll be there in just a few minutes actually. We're just wrappin' a few things up in LaPush and then we'll be by." _

"_Whenever you'd like to come to the house is perfectly fine. Thank you, Jasper."_

"_Well, let's get packed up and see what the hell they want, shall we?" Peter said, rolling his eyes. _

_So, after packing up and shutting down the cabin we use when we visit the area, we said our goodbyes to the Pack and headed off for the Cullens' home. I didn't really think that as a vampire I could experience nausea again, but damned if my stomach wasn't bunched up hard and rolling as we drove up the Cullens' driveway. _

"_Holy shit!" Charlotte gasped. "Is that Renee?"_

_Well, that definitely caught my attention. Sure enough, there she was, loading boxes and bags into a large SUV. And lo and behold, there was Edward. It looked like he, too, was packing up, only he was filling his pretentious-ass Volvo. Huh…_

_Peter parked the truck, and we quietly made our way to the front door. But before I could raise my hand to knock on the front door, it swung open. To say I was shocked at the sight before me would be an understatement of massive fucking proportions. Esme Cullen, the June fucking Cleaver of the vampire world—complete with pearls, Aqua Net, perfectly pressed clothing and all—stood before me in raggedy sweat pants, flip flops, and a threadbare t-shirt with a picture of a dinosaur "nom-nom-nom'ing" a tree on it. I did a double-take at the damn dinosaur because, I mean…yeah. Her hair was a disheveled wreck and mascara was smudged under her eyes. In short, Esme Cullen was a mess and it kind of scared me, to be honest. _

"_Esme? Are you okay?" I asked softly._

"_I'm fine." She sighed. "We were putting everything away from the wedding and reception…" She trailed off. _

"_Isn't that Bella's shirt?" Peter asked, with a curious frown on his face. _

_She just nodded in response and opened the door, ushering us into the house. Evidently, the family had been waiting for us, as they were all lounging in the living room, with the obvious exception of Edward and Renee. It had been nearly twenty-four hours since the wedding, or what should have been the wedding, and I hadn't seen nor heard from any of the Cullens in that time. I don't think anyone else had either, and I couldn't decide whether that bothered me or not. Then again, considering Bella's parting words, I suppose I wasn't too terribly surprised. As Peter, Charlotte, and I sat down on the couch, I took a quick glance at everyone in the room. Other than Jane, who looked pissed, everyone else looked haggard and weary. Carlisle's clothes were wrinkled, for God's sake. That, in and of itself, was fucking weird. _

"_So," I said, trying to break the awkward silence, "will Edward and Renee be joining us?"_

"_I don't know." Carlisle sighed. "He and Renee are currently preparing for their move to Renee's home in Boston." _

"_Ah…" I trailed off, not knowing exactly what to say. Granted, there were several things I wanted to say, and I could feel Peter and Charlotte's ire rising; however, I just wanted to get this out of the way and head home as quickly and as peacefully as possible. _

_For several minutes, we continued to sit in an awkward and uncomfortable silence. I looked around and felt everyone's discomfort, remorse, anger, and fear. Finally Peter's impatience won out._

"_So, what do y'all wanna talk about? And what's goin' on with the poofus outside?" he asked._

"_Poofus?" Emmett asked._

"_Yeah, poofus. Edward."_

"_What in the hell is a poofus?"_

"_Well, ya see, Emmett, poofus is an infantile slang-term for poor pubic hair management. It can also mean nasty snatch. So yeah, Edward _is a_ poofus. Back to my original fuckin' point—what's goin' on with him, and what do y'all want?"_

_After a moment of stunned silence, Jane snickered softly, which led to giggles, which led to the 'evil Volturi enforcer' doubled-over in full-on belly laughs in the Cullens' living room. Fucking Peter…_

"_Ah, Peter…" She snorted. "Poofus!"_

"_What? It's the damn truth." Peter grunted._

"_We just wanted to know how Bella is," Alice whispered, steadfastly refusing to look anyone in the eye._

"_She's fine," Charlotte snapped, cutting her eyes toward the garage…and Edward._

"_Bella spent time with her father and friends. Marcus treated her and a few others to dinner at a Japanese steakhouse earlier this evening. Their flight left about two and a half hours ago. She's supposed to either call or send me a message when they land," I responded succinctly._

"_Was she…was she okay?" Emmett asked, his emotions a flurry of resignation, shame, and a trickle of hope. I could feel the same emotional mix coming from just about everyone in the house, including Edward and Renee. Granted, Edward's shame damn near overpowered everything else he was feeling, and Renee…well, Renee was also feeling a something else. Triumph, perhaps?_

"_She was as well as can be expected," I said simply. They hadn't attempted to contact her, and quite frankly, if they really wanted to know, they could damn well ask her themselves. This aftermath, though a product of the mess they'd made, was Bella's story to tell, not mine. She'd already had enough choices taken away from her; I wasn't going to take this one away from her as well. _

"_Oh…" Alice whispered. "I was really worried about her, worried that something happened. Well, something else, that is."_

"_What do you mean, Alice?"_

"_I haven't seen her! I mean, I didn't expect to see her until she left, due to the wolves impacting my visions, and I assumed she'd be with them. But I thought when she left with Marcus that I'd see something, anything. I just don't understand…" She trailed off, lost in what I assumed were a mess of confusing thoughts. _

"_So, you can't see Bella?" Charlotte asked with a smirk._

"_No! And it isn't just Bella. I can't see anyone else either! Marcus, Alec…they're all gone!" she cried._

"_What do you mean?" Jane demanded, whirling around from the corner of the room where she had been glaring a hole into Edward and Renee. "Tell me when you last saw my brother—and Alice, you better tell me why you failed to mention this to me earlier!"_

"_You know the wolves block my visions, Jane!" Alice cried, her eyes filled with venom. _

"_What could have happened, Alice?" Edward asked frantically, his sudden appearance surprising us all. "Jasper, you were the last to see her. Wait, why are you, Peter, and Charlotte blocking me?" he growled._

"'_Cuz Bella ain't any of your damn business, poofus!" Peter shouted. His irritation, impatience, and anger had been steadily rising since we pulled into the Cullens' driveway, and his simmer was rapidly turning into a boil._

"_I know I wronged her. No one knows that better than me. But it doesn't mean that I don't care."_

"_Right…" Charlotte sneered. "Because nothing says I love you like deception, betrayal, manipulation, and utter humiliation."_

_No one had a response for that, not that there was one. And although I felt like the Cullens deserved everything that Charlotte and Peter, and whoever else wanted to jump in later, were heaping on them, I just wanted to go home. I didn't feel like I could really judge them all that harshly. Point blank, I knew Bella wasn't Edward's mate; Renee was. And I knew the Cullens had been lying, though I hadn't told her. I had known in advance and hadn't told her. Granted, I hadn't led her on for as long as the Cullens had, but I still hadn't warned her, and I should've found a way. _

"_All right, stop," I said wearily, my own guilt, and everyone else's, battering me. "You can't see them because Leah Clearwater went along with them. She wanted to help her friend." I couldn't help but think that Leah had also gone to escape the pain she felt every time she phased, every time she ran into Sam and Emily, every time she witnessed and was reminded of their love and joy. _

"_Listen, it's been a very long, stressful, and painful...well, honestly, it's been like this for longer than anyone cares to admit. Everyone's emotions are running high, everything has changed, and no one knows quite what to do or how to feel about it. I don't know about y'all, but I'm goin' home," I said, sighing. _

With that, Peter, Charlotte, and I left the Cullens and went home to Wyoming. We hadn't heard from Edward or Renee since and none of us were feeling a bit bad about it either. Slowly, we had smoothed things out a bit with the Cullens, Jane, and Alice. We didn't have the relationships we once had, but we were cordial. And when it came down to it, I still cared, and I knew everyone else did as well.

"Baby doll!" Peter called up the stairs to Charlotte. "I finished loadin' the bags in the car. Do I need to grab anythin' else?" He turned around and rolled his eyes at me, grumbling under his breath. "Is there anything else that woman can pack?"

"Nope, I'm pretty sure that's everything," Charlotte said. "I just finished wrapping Jane's and Alice's wedding gifts. That was all that was left to go."

"Oh, and by the way, Peter, there's a lot more I could pack. Asshole," she said with exaggerated sweetness as she glided down the stairs, her arms loaded with silver- and gold-wrapped gifts. "Come on, boys, let's go."

"Yes, ma'am," Peter muttered while I snickered at them both.

"Shut up, Jasper."

* * *

We had _finally_ boarded the final flight of the trip after suffering through two layovers: one in Minneapolis, which was boring and just plain ol' sucked, and another in Amsterdam, and I'll admit that I wished we'd had a little time to roam the city. However, I was sick and tired of travelling; I was tired of being on a cooped-up plane, I was tired of the fucking kid behind me kicking my damn chair, I was tired of the flight attendant flirting with me, and I was sick of the old lady in front of me who kept belching every five goddamn minutes. I was more than ready to get the hell off this plane and to Volterra, where I could rest a bit.

If I were being completely honest, though, I was anxious to get through the wedding, and all the pomp and circumstance I knew Alice would have planned, and get to _her_. After the wedding and a little visit with our friends in Italy, we were heading out for another voyage—one that would take us to Bella and Leah. We'd Skyped, emailed, and talked on the phone, but it wasn't the same. It just wasn't enough. I needed to see her, to touch her, to hug her to know that she was indeed okay.

I glanced across the first class aisle and saw Charlotte and Peter snuggling under a blanket and probably doing something borderline illegal. I missed that, the intimacy. While Alice and I had known we weren't mates, we had shared a love and intimacy that I had, and still do to an extent, cherished. It was something that brought me peace and warmth at a time when I truly needed it. Yeah, I've dated since Alice found Jane, and I had thoroughly enjoyed my fair share of the ladies both before and after her, but there was a difference between _that_ and _intimacy…_and I missed _intimacy_—the familiarity of another person, the loving, the bond, the acceptance, the trust. I missed being needed by a woman. Sure, I was wanted, and while it felt nice and all, it was nothing like being _needed _by a woman. I wanted that; I wanted a _mate. _But it wasn't something guaranteed in a vampire's life, and after all this time, I doubt it was in my cards. I tried to soothe myself with the love of friends and family, like Peter, Charlotte, Bella, the Cullens, the Pack, and surprisingly enough Marcus, but sometimes it just wasn't enough.

With a sigh, I pushed myself out of my maudlin thoughts and reflected on everything that had brought Bella to where she was, and what she was, now.

_As we made our way through the throng of automobiles lining the Cullen driveway, I heard Marcus call out for us. As a group, we stopped and immediately circled Bella, not knowing whether Marcus and his guard were a threat or not. An agreement had been made in order to save that little douchewad's life back in Italy: Bella was to be turned and changed into a vampire post haste, no excuses. Alice had managed to delay the change with the promise of the change occurring immediately following the wedding; however, now that the wedding obviously hadn't occurred, who knew what Volterra was going to do to ensure that the deal was in fact followed. _

"_Excuse me, Isabella, I am so sorry to bother you, especially in light of recent events, but I must speak with you, preferably immediately." _

"_Oh, ah, um...okay?" Bella sputtered, arching her eyebrow in confusion and concern._

"_As you recall, my dear, an agreement was made that you would be changed. We, the Volturi, were willing to extend your change until immediately following the wedding, and as you are well aware, this was a most rare and gracious occurrence."_

"_Um..."_

"_You see, Isabella, you _must_ be changed. There are no other options. While I ache for you as a result of the flagrant and insidious actions of that child, I, most unfortunately, cannot allow your change to be delayed any longer," Marcus said softly, genuine remorse dripping from every word. "Alec, Felix, and I will be leaving for Volterra tomorrow evening. You will accompany us, and from there I will oversee both your change and your adjustment."_

_No. I couldn't—wouldn't—allow this. Bella needed to heal, and with Peter and Charlotte's assistance, I could care for her during her change and her newborn years. I could make sure that it was done lovingly and patiently, like she deserved. For the kindnesses the Volturi had shown her so far, they still didn't know her. They didn't know that she prefers cottons and jerseys to silks and satins or that she listens to _The Sea and the Rhythm_ on repeat every night to soothe her nightmares and calm her into sleep. They didn't know that although she loves classic literature, she also has a stash of smutty romance novels that embarrasses her. They didn't know that spiders and horror movies terrify her to the point of damn near paralysis. They didn't know that the best way to soothe her was not with a hug or kiss but instead by playing with her hair. They didn't know that she was tender-hearted and brave, kind and fiery, loving and bold. They didn't know all of the little and big things that made her _**her. **_We—Charlotte, Peter, and I—did. _

"_Excuse me, Marcus? May I call you Marcus?" I asked. _

"_Yes, yes, of course, Jasper."_

"_Thank you. Marcus, I am more than willing to administer Bella's change and guide her through her newborn years."_

"_And we're more than willing to help," Charlotte said. _

"_I am sorry," Marcus sighed, "but I just cannot allow that. While the original agreement was for a Cullen to adhere to Isabella's change, you too have been involved with her for just as long and, like the Cullens," he spat, "you too have shown no sign of guaranteeing Ms. Swan's change. So, I am sorry, Whitlock Coven, I truly am, but no, I cannot grant your request."_

"_Please, Marcus," Bella pleaded. "I—"_

"_I'm sorry, child. I truly am. But I must have a guarantee, and none of the vampires that you have associated with thus far have given me any reason to believe that they will indeed change you, and that is just a risk that I—that we— just cannot take. Please understand." _

As the plane began its takeoff, I thought of the last time I saw Bella, the night we all said goodbye. Charlie, Sue, the entire Pack, Peter, Charlotte, and I had all caravanned with her, Marcus, Alex, and Felix to the airport to say our goodbyes after Marcus had treated everyone to a dinner at a Japanese steakhouse. It had been decided that Jane and Alice would follow them to Italy within the next three months in order to protect the Cullens' cover of the 'children going off to college' story. Furthermore, Bella had specifically requested that her contact with the Cullens be limited to only _as needed_ for the time being. While Bella was never one to hold a grudge, her hurt, anger, and sense of betrayal were just too raw, too open, to handle any unnecessary contact.

_I watched her slowly climb the stairway ascending into the Volturi private jet, her back stiff with determination. When she reached the entryway, she slowly turned around and looked at everyone who had gathered to wish her luck and love. She smiled slowly and softly, her brown eyes gleaming with unshed tears and warm with affection, love, and longing. I wanted to grab her then; I wanted to take her from that plane, run with her, change her, and care for her myself. But I couldn't, and more importantly, to protect her, I _wouldn't_. So I just watched…helplessly. She stopped suddenly, turned around, and smiled—a small, trembling, but hopeful little smile, her eyes darting through the group and finally resting on me. _

_And then she was gone, boarded and heading into her decided yet uncertain future. _

* * *

_**Long A/N:**_

_**I am so sorry for the delay in posting this update. On top of numerous RL changes/stresses, I hit a nasty, intimidating, seemingly immovable bout of writer's block, and honestly, I don't know how many times this chapter has been re-written now. Suffice it to say, it's been re-written a lot. However, on the upside, in my battle waged with the block of doom, I wrote an O/S (**_**A Question of Fate**_**...check it out, please!) and came up with several story ideas. **_

_**Jasper mentions **_**The Sea and the Rhythm**_** as being one of Bella's favorite songs. It's a beautiful song by Iron and Wine. YouTube it! **_

_**In regard to the Pine Ridge Reservation, the challenges and injustices faced/suffered by the Oglala Sioux Indians are nothing less than heartbreaking and positively deplorable.**_

**The Pine Ridge Reservation is the most impoverished area in the United States.**

**The reservation's population has the shortest life expectancy of **_**any **_**group in the Western hemisphere. **

**Their infant mortality rate is five times the national average in the U.S., and the adolescent suicide rate is four times the national average. **

**The school dropout rate hovers around 70%, the teacher turnover rate in the tribal schools are 800% higher than the national average, unemployment is roughly 80%, and 49% of the population lives below the federal poverty level. **

**Furthermore, a significant percentage of the families living on the reservation have no running water, telephone service, electricity, or sewage systems. The majority of the homes without electrical service rely upon wood burning stoves to heat their homes, which is seriously depleting an already limited resource. **

**Beyond that, not only are rates of tuberculosis, diabetes, alcoholism, and heart disease in the reservation hundreds of times higher than anywhere else in the U.S., but more than 60% of the homes on the reservation are condemnable and teeming with Black Mold, which can be fatal in and of itself. **

_**I could go on and on about the atrocities the Oglala Sioux face, but I think this is a sufficient message to say, "Yeah, this shiz is eff'ed up." There are several groups out there looking for support and volunteers if you want to help. If you're interested, PM me, and I'll send some information your way. **_


	6. Chapter Five

**Alter Bound: Chapter Five**

_Holy crap it's an update!_

**Rated M for a lot of reasons**

**Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. The Twilight Saga and all characters, recognizable settings, etc. involved within are the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**A/N: Pre-read by jpcc and my fic-wife and lady love, duskri123. Portions of this were also pre-read by juliaangelus. Thank you so much ladies! **

**Beta'd by JaspersDestiny of Sparkly Red Pen. She's the coolest and I *lurve* her. **

**Seriously y'all, I have the bestest team eva'!**

* * *

**Bella's POV**

It has been three years—three years since I said goodbye to my family and friends; three years since I embraced _new_ family and friends; and two years, ten months, seventeen days, three hours, seven minutes, and forty-three seconds since I was changed.

As I stared out at the dark, still waters around me, I thought about how much my life had changed in these past few years and wondered if my life reflected the ocean—choppy waves and storm surges followed by calm, still, dark waters. Then again, I wasn't naïve enough to believe that I had charted all of the rough, turbulent waves and surges that life would bring me; an eternity is a _long_ time after all. Well, I was no longer_that_ naive. So, no, I suppose my life doesn't necessarily reflect the water, but then again, I'm not so sure I want it to, I think. I think I'd rather my life parallel that of this island.

This land that has survived earthquakes and tsunamis.

This land, whose shape has ebbed, flowed, grown, and lessened with the shifts of the tides, currents, and movement of the underwater plates and earth.

This land that is sufficient unto itself.

This land that is majestic, exotic, dangerous, and awe-inspiring.

No, I don't want to be the water, so helpless to the shifts of plates, man, and weather; instead, I'd rather be this island—created from the harsh and chaotic eruptions of a volcano and able to not only survive and outlast the elements and harsh nature of the world but to bend—_thrive—_ throughout it all.

North Sentinel Island. A beautiful hideaway from the world where Marcus brought me to undergo my change and transition; this beautiful refuge that has suffered with me through my worst—through my tears, screams, cries, emotional breakdowns...and ultimate breakthroughs. This respite from the scars, pains, and hurts of the past and present. This land—this little bit of rock, sand, and forest—where, for the first time, I started putting myself together, where I admitted my weaknesses and selfishness. These trees and seashells have seen me come completely apart and unglued but have also born witness to my transformation not only into this vampiric life but also into that of a woman, an adult..._myself_.

Tucked away in the Bay of Bengal are the Andaman Islands, and hidden away even further is North Sentinel Island: the "last island of the savages."* Protected by the Indian government, it is a sacred area, thought of by the outside world as being one of the last refuges for a people untouched and untainted by the civilized world. A tribe free from capitalism and Westernization. The last known people completely free and wild; India protects North Sentinel from tourists, researchers, scientists, the military, business, other countries, and even the Indian government itself.

Granted, the Sentinelese tribe died out in the late 1880s after contracting diseases from British researchers; however, no one other than the Volturi was aware of that little fact. After the last of the Sentinelese died, the Volturi started using the island as a base for newborn changes and adjustment periods. It's ideal, really; the isolation and jungle protect newborns, their sires, and humans, allowing the newborn to transition in safety. This was made even better when the Indian government stepped in and protected the island in the 1900s after the "tribe" killed several researchers. As technology has grown and improved through time, the Volturi has stepped in with its own measures of protection, primarily through strategically placed satellites and political influence.

To my surprise, the Volturi went several steps further to protect the island through their own research endeavors. The _M.A.C. Foundation_—as it is currently known—both funds and participates in research in a variety of areas depending upon the research interests of the Guard as well as Marcus, Aro, and Caius. Marcus, in particular, has always had an interest in environmental phenomena and has studied everything from agriculture and pollution to oceanography and astrophysics. Since the late 1950s, whenever a Volturi newborn has been brought to the island for their change and transition, a marine research vessel has been deployed to the area under the guise of research to further monitor the area. A ship was already in the area researching the Indian Ocean Garbage Patch when Marcus brought me to the island.

From the ship, not only was genuine research done, but the blood Marcus gave me during the most volatile stages of my newborn year was stored there in addition to anything else a sire might need during the transformation of their 'child': clothing and a variety of objects to help a newborn adjust to the new strength and abilities of the vampiric body and mind; books, paper, crayons, heavy weights, fabrics, feathers, small instruments, playing cards, and even door knobs. I supposed it depended on the needs of the newborn and their sire, as gifts can lead to special needs.

The transition from human to vampire is challenging enough as it is, but imagine adding yet another uncontrollable layer on top of everything else! Even greater strength blocking your ability to adjust. Being bombarded by not only your emotions but everyone else's as well and not being able to discern which are yours, what is real, what it is that you're feeling in the first place. Hearing voices in your head that aren't your own and questioning the few threads of sanity you've been able to hold on to only to discover that you're not crazy but that you're hearing the thoughts of every person around you. Oh, yeah, and you're a vampire, too! Visions of the future, the control of Earth's elements, the ability to cause pain and derive the senses. To say that a gift complicates the transition is perhaps the biggest understatement ever uttered.

There are no words to describe the pain, the blinding agony, of the acidic venom rushing through your veins, expelling everything that was once human and creating everything that will be vampire. And when you open your eyes to your new world and body, there is nothing that can accurately describe the...the _war_ in your mind and body. The overwhelming emotions and thoughts, the uncontrollable strength, fighting against unstoppable impulses for blood, for release…for _relief_. Strains of human morality and values battling against the base, carnal nature of the newborn vampire. It is all just so much, _too much_. Adding a gift that both enables and inhibits the already struggling newborn is a recipe for a veritable disaster. It was the potential for gifts that urged the Volturi to seek out an isolated environment for transition where the newborn and sire could exercise the gift, learning not only the ability of the gift but also its impacts.

As it was thought that I would awaken to this life with a gift, Marcus chose to move me to the island for my transition and newborn adjustment. After leaving Washington, we flew directly to Italy and spent about a month and a half in Volterra where Marcus prepared for my transition and tied up any loose ends that he wouldn't be able to tend to while he was away. He, Leah, and I then moved briefly to India, where Marcus introduced us to Dr. Bush, his lead researcher…and coincidentally one of the most fascinating and awkward vampires I have ever encountered, and detailed how the next year or so of our lives would play out. Marcus had explained that for the time we were on the island, we would slake our thirst with donated blood that Dr. Bush was studying. Evidently, donor blood degrades rapidly and the degenerative cellular structure can be harmful to recipients. Dr. Bush had loaded the ship with freezers, agitators, nitric oxide, donor blood, and all sorts of other scientific equipment to study the degradation of red blood cells in donor blood. Every few months, Dr. Bush would make his way back to India to collect more blood donations to replenish our supplies in addition to gathering more clothing, dry goods for Leah, the care packages that Jasper, Peter, and Charlotte sent, and any other items that we might need. Leah would stay on the ship with Dr. Bush and accompany him on any trips back to the continenton the ship until I could be proven to not do her harm while Marcus and I remained on North Sentinel, alone and undisturbed until Marcus deemed me safe. From there, Marcus and Dr. Bush would work with me on my control, adjustment, and gift until I could be reintroduced to the outside world.

Not that I remembered any of this when I _awoke_.

Everything had been explained to me before my change—the entire _how_s, _where_s, _what_s, and _why_s of my change and newborn transition; however, it was a while before the human memories I retained came back to me.

Instead, I found myself..._lost_.

Lost to my bloodlust.

Lost to tumultuous, contradicting, and raging emotions.

Lost in the seething, bipolar creature I had become, and lost in my desperation to understand and gain even a tiny modicum of some control.

I did experience brief glimpses of serenity and cognizance, but those fragile escapes from madness were rare in the beginning. And my memories of my newborn year are just as abrupt, just as staccato in nature as my then tenuous grasp on sanity. I do recall everything in aching detail from the moment I awoke to this life; however, the memories of my beginning play differently than those I've gained as I've matured. In many ways, my remembrance of that time is rather like a silent film: a series of tremulous flashes of angst and the relief of blood with no sound all bridged together with spaces of darkness and the abrupt return of light and recollection.

Just as I was told, my human memories didn't quite make the transition from human to vampire as well as I'd hoped. There are things, people, and events in which I have no recall and others that I can summon with an almost blinding clarity. Then there are other memories that aren't necessarily recollections but more like smoky souvenirs, keepsakes of the actual memories, sort of like reminders in that they have a sense of familiarity to them, but I cannot recall what it is. I've been luckier than most, honestly. My friends and family put together photo albums and videos of my memories. I had a journal with random bits and pieces.

And sometimes it helped.

But sometimes it backfired.

Because sometimes my human memories didn't quite translate the same in my vampiric mind as they had when I was human. They elicited a different emotional response in the vampire that read them than they had in the human girl who'd dutifully written about her mother, father, friends, and loves, her life and aspirations. There were times when I read her words and was struck by how much she had edited her thoughts and the effort she had put into the rose-tinted memories...all matters of hurt and bitterness, of animosity and agony carefully tweaked and prodded into a careful retelling, which to me only served to highlight a misguided sense of understanding.

_Pfft_.

She understood the free-spirited nature of her mother.

I remember feeling overwhelmed and scared at a very young age by all of the things mommies were supposed to do but I had to do instead. I remember occasional flares of exasperation and bitterness at her carelessness and inability to allow me to have the childhood I deserved...the childhood she stole from me and instead relished in.

She understood why Edward broke her heart in the deep, dark forest and left her.

I remember the anguish of rejection and feeling like I never lived up to his expectations. I remember the hurt and anger of a controlled life. I remember the humiliation of the wedding I never even wanted in the first place.

She understood her father's distance and limited involvement.

I remember being a little girl crying because I wanted my daddy to want and need me just as much as I needed him. I remember the jealousy that consumed me when other girls went to Father-Daughter dances and movies and special date nights. I remember not wanting to go with Mommy; I needed my Daddy...but he didn't want me enough to fight for me. I was so easy for him—_them_—to let go of.

She understood Edward's reticence regarding his _mate_.

I remember the betrayal and heartache of his secret. I remember being utterly confused and feeling so used by Renee'sattempt at _friendship_. I remember the rage I felt afterward, knowing that I had asked him a few times about their relationship, and how I was made to feel guilty, as though I was acting as nothing more than a shallow, catty girlfriend.

Coincidentally, Leah and I came to the agreement that between my mother—a nasty heifer named Renee that Leah used to work with—and Edward's milksop mate, I should just avoid all Renees in general. In fact, I should probably just run away screaming the next time I meet one.

She understood the Cullens' abandonment and ultimate loyalty to Edward, and only Edward.

I remember wondering that if they treated me as family, how would they treat their enemy?

Above all, I remember feeling like such a burden; fighting it and denying it, but no matter how hard I tried and how much effort I put into being a relief instead of an encumbrance, I remember feeling like I was a hardship, a hindrance to everyone and everything—but _she_ understood...she understood, she understood, she understood.

Well, I _didn't_.

I didn't understand it at all.

Moreover, I didn't have to, especially when Marcus, Leah, and Jasper cajoled everything out of me, forcing me to face my past and acknowledge _every little thing _in order to have a better future.

I lashed out at Marcus, not understanding the seemingly mature and rational response of the human girl who wrote these things. I pleaded with Leah, desperate to understand why this girl was so...so _okay_, so _complacent _with everything while I was a trembling mass of conflicted hurt, jealousy, anger, inadequacy, and betrayal. But in my emails and satellite calls with Jasper, I found solace. He was like a balm to my rage and heartache—soothing, healing, and relieving my heart like the most powerful medicine. While he didn't coddle me or feed me placations, he was soft and gentle and yet firm and authoritative, an odd combination perhaps but it was precisely what I needed.

I wanted to know _why_.

Why was I so easy to let go of?

Why was it so easy to discount my feelings, my needs, and my desires?

Why was I so easy to misplace and overlook?

Whywas I never enough?

Why was I never _good_ enough?

I wanted to know why I tolerated it, why I accepted it in the first place, and why I didn't stand up for myself.

In the beginning, I railed against Marcus and Leah. I screamed, shouted, and fought against them, but I think now that I was more so fighting against myself. I didn't listen; I don't think that I could, to be honest. I wasn't prepared to truly listen to what others had to say. Sure, I could _hear_ them perfectly fine, but there's a distinct difference between _hearing_ and _listening_. And I could no more listen to _them_ than I could _myself_.

But, in time my thirst lessened and my more primitive urges were subdued. Finally, I could listen and begin to truly digest and comprehend my surroundings, my companions, and myself.

"_Bella," Leah said to me one night while we were lying in the damp sand of the island, pointing out the constellations that Marcus had taught us about the night before. "I don't think that you ever truly _understood_ everything with your parents, with Edward and the Cullens. I think that you didn't know what else to do, and didn't know any better. I think that you took whatever little morsels of warmth, affection, and attention you could get because you were so used to being overlooked. I think that's why you latched onto the Cullens—Carlisle and Esme, especially—the way you did. _

_There's a huge difference between understanding and accepting. Not that you should've accepted any of the shit you did, but I don't think you knew any better or any different."_

"_And I know better now?" I snorted, watching in strange fascination as she picked the sand out of her hair with the practiced patience that came from months of living in the sand, wind, dirt, and salt water. "Leah, I've been on this island with only you, Marcus, satellite calls with Jasper, and the occasional appearance of Dr. Bush—_

_Leah snorted at the mention of Dr. Bush, "Puh-lease, interactions with that weirdo don't really count, and you know it."_

"_I think what Leah meant, my dearest child, is that you're now honestly acknowledging and __facing__ your feelings," Marcus said, walking slowly from the tree line to join us on the beach. "That is what you know better now. And honesty with oneself…well, it is terrifying and uncomfortable." Hunkering down on the sand between us, he continued. "Tell me, Bella, what is it that causes you the most conflict?_

"_I guess…" I sighed. "I guess it's that...that she, or I—whatever—just seemed so together, and I'm such a mess, you know? She seemed so happy and loving and loved and just...just, I don't know, Marcus." I growled, twisting my hair in my hands in nervousness and agitation, desperate to find the right words, but the ones I could think of were insufficient while the ones I wanted were fluttering out of my mind like dandelion seeds in the wind. "I-I—"_

"_Isabella," Marcus interrupted, gently tugging my hair out of my twisting fingers. "Look at me, Bella." Sliding two of his fingers under my chin, he slowly made me look at him. I don't know why I find it's so much harder to look someone in the eye while I try to figure out the war in my mind and prepare myself for the inevitable emotional word vomit, but it is..._

"_My child," Marcus continued soothingly, "do not answer this right now. In fact, don't even think of it at the moment—if you are able to avoid such thoughts, that is. I merely meant that this is something to think of. You've acknowledged your past hurts and angers; now you must do the hardest part and _accept_ them. Accept them and live now." His fingers slowly made their way across my jaw and tangled into the thick hair knotted at the nape of my neck. Pulling me to him, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Live in this life you have now and accept it for what it is...and for what it isn't. You will be fine in time, Bella. Do not worry or trouble yourself with this. Live, grow, and accept yourself...and accept that there is nothing that can be done about the past. You cannot change it; all you can do is face it, learn from it, and move forward. Do you understand?"_

"_Yes," I whispered, both soothed by his affection and words and also a bit mollified at my self-centeredness. _

"_And you too, Leah. This applies to you as well," Marcus said simply as he stood up, brushed the sand off his pants, and walked back into the island's thick jungle. "I think I shall take the boat out, perhaps check on Dr. Bush and replenish our supplies. Bella and I will need more blood, and I believe Jasper's care package should have arrived with whatever goodies he packed away for you girls. Please be careful and make the most of the evening," he said, darting gracefully into the woods. A minute later we could hear the crunch of underbrush and the swishing of the tree limbs we used as camouflage to hide the speedboat—just in case—and the splash it made as Marcus maneuvered it into the water. _

"_Well, this sucks," Leah muttered as we watched the little speedboat bounce across the ocean's waves, digging her toes deeper into the sand. _

"_Indeed."_

* * *

Goodheart, Adam. 2000. "The Last Island of the Savages." _The American Scholar. _69(4): 13-44.

_A/N:_

North Sentinel Island is, in fact, real, and the Sentinelese are still a living, thriving tribe on the island. They are protected by the Indian government...for now.

It's been a little while since I update, yeah? And I'm really sorry for that. I'm not going to waste your time with excuses (some are good, others are lame), but please know that I am truly sorry for the wait. I made a Pinterest board for the story to give you some visuals, especially for this chapter. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review.

pinterest (dot or period) com (forwardslash) alterbound (forwardslash) alter-bound (forwardslash)

Oh! Did you notice the playing cards and door knobs? It's a weird (okay..dorky) shout-out to my duskri123 and her story, _Someday_. If you haven't read it, please stop reading my ramblings now and read _Someday_...untouchable story...

Nauticalmass does this cool thing at the end of her chapters where she asks what else her readers are enjoying and I'd like to do the same. So, what else are you reading? As for me, I'm reading the following WIP's:

Witness by duskri123 (Sooooooo good….ugh, it just hurts so good.)

The Art of Getting Fluffed by ChocolateSparrow (Funny stuff)

Drinking Problems by badjujube (Really good, very unique)

Troika by Mortissues (This just started but as she's never led me astray….and I might have a ridiculous fangirl crush…I'm positive that it will be fabulous.)


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